Elephant's Ear. Fantastic large leaved shrub with dark red stems from Hawaii and Fiji. Looks great in a sub tropical border outside in the summer, but will need to be brought in during the winter months. It will also thrive in a pond and give that tropical feel to the garden. Will do best in a semi shady position, where it can reach up to 1m in height.
A fabulous exotic banana from Africa. It produces large, reddish green leaves with prodigious speed during the summer months. It can be planted outside once the frosts have passed where it becomes a stunning specimen very quickly. Unfortunately, it will not tolerate frost and must either be lifted and kept frost-free for the winter (you can remove most to all of the leaves) or if you live in a very sheltered area, protect it with straw and fleece.
Lovely ginger native to the Himalayas. Grows up to 2 metres in height and produces a stunning inflorescence of a pale lemon yellow. The rhizomes will need to be kept frost-free during the winter either with deep, dry mulch or by storing them in a greenhouse.
Fabulous hardy banana which when given rich soil and plenty of feed can reach 4m or more. It is root hardy so shoots from the ground each year if frosted but if the trunk is protected it gets larger each year. This plant can even flower and produce small bananas (see photo)! Plant in moist rich soil in a sunny or partially shady spot and then all you have to do is stand back and enjoy.
This is a high altitude banana from the Himalayas. In the right spot, it can tolerate medium to heavy frosts making it an unusual alternative to the Japanese Hardy Banana. It has large, relatively tough leaves that often show a deep reddish colour. Can reach 4 metres in height and will produce small, sweet tasting bananas when happy.
